1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of network communications, and more particularly to the testing and verification of protocol modules.
2. Background Information
With advances in integrated circuit, microprocessor, networking and communication technologies, an increasing number of devices, in particular, digital computing devices, are being networked together. Such devices are often first coupled to a local area network, such as an Ethernet based office/home network. In turn, the local area networks are interconnected together through wide area networks, such as Synchronous Optical Networks (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks, Frame Relay, and the like. Of particular importance is the TCP/IP based global inter-network, the Internet. The rapid growth of the Internet has fueled a convergence of data communication (datacom) and telecommunication (telecom) protocols and requirements. It is increasingly important that data traffic be carried efficiently across local, regional, and wide area networks.
With a great deal of data traffic being generated around the world, there is more and more interest in, and as well as economic incentive to provide, high speed network communications equipment such as, for example, that which is based on SONET. To fulfill these needs there has been an increase in design and production by vendors of high speed network communications equipment. Along with this increased design and production of high speed network communication equipment, there is a correspondingly increased requirement for testing such equipment for functionality and reliability.
Most network communication equipment includes both a transmitter and a receiver. One method of testing such communication equipment in general is to provide data for transmission by the transmitter of the equipment under test, and to provide one or more pathways for that data to be received by the receiver of the equipment. In this way, the data that is transmitted can be compared, after reception, with the data that has been transmitted. Various errors, in either the transmitter, receiver, or pathways, may be detected in this manner.
Unfortunately, high speed transmitters and receivers of network communication equipment, such as those used, for example, to implement SONET systems, are not always easily accessible for the injection of test data.
What is needed are methods and apparatus for providing efficient test pattern generation, insertion, reception, error detection, and reporting, in network communications equipment.